Canopy for covering a table top

ABSTRACT

The canopy has a generally dome-shaped cover which, in use opens downwardly. The canopy is used in conjunction with a clamp for attaching the canopy to a table such that access to any objects on the table top cannot be gained without detaching the canopy from the table top. The canopy prevents unwanted handling of dishes and cutlery during pre-meal set up as well as unwanted handling of food and any other items on the table before a meal is ready to be served.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to canopies and more particularly to a canopy forcovering a table such as a dining-room table to prevent unwantedhandling of dishes and cutlery during pre-meal set up as well asunwanted handling of food and any other items on the table before a mealis ready to be served.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

A problem that is often encountered in an institution where meals areserved to residents in a common dining room is that the residentsinterfere with the staff as they are setting the tables. In a nursinghome or a boarding school, for example, residents may enter a diningroom before a meal is ready to be served and touch the dishes andcutlery and on occasions, help them-selves to any food on the tables.

Such unwanted entry is not only distracting to the staff but may slowdown the setting of the tables. The staff may have to spend extra timeremoving dishes and cutlery that have been touched and removinghalf-eaten food from the tables and replacing it with untouched food.

I have invented a canopy that can be placed over a table after it isset. The canopy can be easily attached to the table in a way thatintruders, particularly residents in a nursing home whose manualdexterity may be impaired, find difficult to detach. More dextrousintruders such as students may be deterred from detaching the canopy bythe possibility that they will be spotted by the staff as they are doingso.

While the canopy is attached, dishes, cutlery and food on the tablecannot be handled and when a meal is ready to be served, the canopy canbe easily removed by the staff.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Briefly, the canopy of my invention comprises a generally dome-shapedcover which, in use opens downwardly. The canopy is used in conjunctionwith a clamp or securing means for removably attaching the canopy to atable such that access to any objects on the table top over which thecover lies cannot be gained without detaching the canopy from the table.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The canopy of the invention is described with reference to theaccompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a first embodiment of the canopy inconjunction with a table;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a second embodiment of the canopycomposed of two interconnecting segments;

FIGS. 3 and 4 are perspective views of third and fourth embodiments ofthe canopy;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a clamp for securing the canopy to atable;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a second embodiment of the clamp;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the second embodiment of the clampshowing a portion of the interior of the clamp; and

FIG. 8 is an elevation of a portion of the canopy, table top and clamp.

Like reference characters refer to like parts throughout the descriptionof the drawings.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

With reference to FIG. 1, the canopy of the invention, generally 10, isshown in conjunction with a conventional table, generally 12. The tablehas a rectangular table top 14 having oppositely facing upper and lowersurfaces 14 a,b respectively and four side walls 16. The table is setwith plates and condiments.

The canopy has a dome or cover 30, four outer edges 32, a pair of frontand back walls 34 and an outer rectangular frame 36. The dimension ofthe frame correspond with that of the table so that frame contacts thefour margins of the table when the canopy is placed on the table. Thedome commences at its outer edges 32 a,b on opposite sides of the dome,curves upward from the edges and terminates at a central area, generally40.

Front and back walls 34 are disposed vertically. Their lower edges 34 aare straight and are connected to frame 36 while their upper edges 34 bfollow the curvature of the dome and support the margins of the domeadjacent to its outer edges. The canopy accordingly completely coversthe upper surface of the table while the central area of the dome issufficiently high that it will be above the level of food, glasses,pitchers and utensils normally found on a dining-room table.

With reference to FIG. 2, the canopy is composed of two sections 50 a,beach being identical to canopy 10 except that the frames 52 a,b are eachU-shaped. The two sections can be butted against each other to form onecomplete canopy. Such a canopy is suitable for covering a table which islonger than it is wide.

With reference to FIG. 3, the canopy is composed of four segments 60a,b,c and d. Each segment commences at an outer edge 62 and slopesupward toward and terminates at a central apex 64. The outer edges ofthe segments define the margins of the dome and are attached to arectangular frame (not illustrated) which is similar to frame 36 in FIG.1.

The segments of the canopy of FIG. 3 are interconnected at their sideedges 68. Apex 64 is, like the central area 40 of the previouslydescribed dome, sufficiently high that it is above the level of itemsnormally found on a dining-room table.

With reference to FIG. 4, the canopy, generally 70, is illustrated inoutline. The canopy is in the shape of a hemisphere having a circularlower edge 71 and a hollow interior 72 for receipt of plates andcondiments arranged on a table top 74. The canopy is attached to a frame76 having a stepped outer edge 78.

With reference to FIG. 5, a clamp or securing means, generally 80, forattaching the canopy described in the previous figures to a table isillustrated. The clamp has a housing 81 having an upper wall 82 whichforms an upper jaw of the clamp. A bar 84 forms the lower jaw of theclamp. The bar is parallel to the upper wall and is spaced apart from itby a distance some-what less than the thickness of a table top. The baris mounted on two vertical tracks 86 and is movable vertically on thetracks. A number of coil springs disposed within shrouds 88 are attachedon the lower side of the lower jaw. The springs are also attached to abase 90 of the housing.

The coil springs bias the bar or lower jaw toward the upper jaw. Ahandle 92 is provided for pulling the lower jaw downward in order toincrease the space between the two jaws. Strips 94 of sealing materialsuch as rubber are glued to each jaw to protect the table from scratcheswhen the clamp is attached and removed from the table.

The clamp can be used to attach a side edge of a canopy to a table. Todo so, the frame of the canopy is first placed on a table so that one ofits edges is adjacent to a side wall of the table. The upper jaw of theclamp is then placed upon the area of the frame adjacent to the sideedge. The handle is then pulled downward in order to lower the lower jawsufficiently to accommodate the frame and the adjacent margin of thetable. When the handle is allowed to return to its normal position, thelower jaw will move upward and into contact with the table.

With reference to FIGS. 6 and 7 the clamp is composed of a housing 110having lower and upper jaws 112, 114, respectively. The lower jaw isfixed while the upper jaw is mounted for vertical movement on a pair ofvertical tracks 116 attached to an upright wall 118 of the housing. Aroller 120 is eccentrically mounted to the vertical wall. When theroller is rotated, it applies downward pressure on the upper jaw therebycausing it to move downward.

With reference to FIG. 8, the clamp of FIG. 5 is shown in conjunctionwith the table top 14 and frame 36 of FIG. 1. Upper jaw 82 is contactwith the upper wall of the frame while the lower jaw 84 contacts thelower surface 14 b of the table top. The jaws thus serve to secure theframe to the table top. The area of contact of the upper jaw with theframe, indicated 83, is sufficiently large that the canopy cannot bepivoted upward in the direction of arrow 100. Thus one clamp is all thatis required to protect the items on the table top from unwantedhandling. The use of multiple clamps is unnecessary with resultantsavings in time spent in attaching and removal of the clamp

It will be understood, of course, that modifications can be made to thestructure of the canopy described herein without departing from thescope and purview of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

1. In combination, a canopy for a table provided with a table top havingoppositely facing upper and lower surfaces between which a side wallextends, said canopy comprising: a generally dome-shaped cover which, inuse opens downwardly; and securing means for removably attaching saidcanopy to said table such that access to any objects on said uppersurface over which said cover lies cannot be gained without detachingsaid canopy from said table top.
 2. The combination of claim 1 furtherincluding a frame adapted to be seated on said upper surface, said coverbeing attached to said frame and extending upwardly therefrom.
 3. Thecombination of claim 2 wherein said securing means, when functioning toattached said canopy to said table, is arranged and constructed toprevent said frame from being pivoted upward about said securing meansto gain access to said objects.
 4. The combination of claim 2 whereinsaid securing means includes a pair of parallel spaced apart jaws whichfunction to clamp said frame and said table top together with resultingattachment of said canopy and said table, one of said jaws, when sofunctioning, contacting an area of said frame of sufficient size as toprevent said canopy from being pivoted upward about said securing means.5. The combination of claim 1 wherein said securing means includes: apair of parallel spaced apart jaws; resilient means for urging said jawstogether; and a handle for applying a force manually to at least one ofsaid jaws, opposed to the bias of the said resilient means, in order toseparate said jaws such that said canopy can be removed from said tabletop.
 6. The combination of claim 2 wherein said securing means includes:a pair of parallel spaced apart jaws; resilient means for urging saidjaws together; and a handle for applying a force manually to at leastone of said jaws, opposed to the bias of the said resilient means, inorder to separate said jaws, said frame and said table top being clampedtogether between said jaws.
 7. The combination of claim 5 furtherincluding sealing means disposed on each said jaw for sealingly engagingsaid canopy and said table top.
 8. The canopy of claim 1 wherein saidcanopy is composed of washable plastic.
 9. In combination, a canopy fora table provided with a table top having oppositely facing upper andlower surfaces between which a side wall extends, said canopycomprising: a generally dome-shaped cover which, in use, opensdownwardly, and a frame adapted to be seated on said upper surface, saidcover being attached to said frame and extending upwardly therefrom; andsecuring means for removably attaching said canopy to said table, saidsecuring means having a pair of parallel spaced apart jaws whichfunction to clamp said frame and said table top together with resultingattachment of said canopy to said table, one of said jaws, when sofunctioning, contacting an area of said frame of sufficient size as toprevent said canopy from being pivoted upward about said securing meanssuch that access to any objects on said upper surface over which saidcover lies is prevented without detaching said canopy from said tabletop.
 10. The combination of claim 9 wherein said securing means includesresilient means for urging said jaws together; and a handle for applyinga force manually to at least one of said jaws, opposed to the bias ofthe said resilient means, in order to separate said jaws such that saidcanopy can be removed from said table top.